Thermocouple



March 29, 1960 E, C, SCHUNKE 2,930,827

THERMOCOUPLE Original Filed July 25. 1955 INVENTOR I 530.4/ fw www?! www ATTORNEY Delaware` originalapplicationlrly-es, 19.53, serial No. 369,856,

now Patent N o. 2,820,`839, dated `January 21, 1958'. Divided and this application July/15,. 1957, .Serial No. 672,092

zfciaims; (cl, 13s-4j This invention "relatest'o thermocouple 'probes and more particularly to' shielded samplingp'robe's forfmeasuring the temperatures' of highly heated, high velocity 'gases flowing through ductsv of relativelyY lower temperature;

This applicationis a` division of Serial Number 369,856, filed Iuly`23; 1953,' now Patent No.` 2,820,839.`

When' a thermocouple is placed ina hot, high'velocity Y gas duct such asthe 'inlet or outlet duct" of a'gasY turbine,

the EMF.` producedthe'reby accurately n ,ieasures the tern'- perature difference between the hotrand cold,4 junctions of the thermocouple but not necessarily .the actual temperature ofthegas. Heattransferjrr'qrn thev highly heated gas" to' the" hot' junctionv is"pririirily by"convectio" while heat transfer from the'hof' 'junction to "theV lower temperature duct ,is b'yra'diariesand' conduction; yHeat"nans'fef fo' the juhetionmustp'roee'ed atf'thefsamerteas heat trans,- ferfr'om'tlie"junction/inorderto obtain an'accura'te indi`` cation of the 'gs"temperature'. Heat transfe'frm the junction tends to be'texcessive Yunless'special precautions aretaken inthe design'of the'ga'sprobe. Heat transfer Yfrom thejunctionjby conduction be reduced 4by placingthe junction'ias"`far' as' possible" from"V the duct wall and/or by exposing most of the thermo; couple wire directly to the hot gas stream. n This means of reducingcondction"heat 'transfer"is"impractica1 in applications whererthe-sizeof theiduct limits the distance that the junction may be placed from the duct wall and/or where the vgas stream iso'f such high'velocity that al casingland insulationis required'to reinforce the/thermocouplelwires'dup-to-the junction'to prevent their bending from the irhpact'eof thegas stream: Heat transferfrom the junction by `radiationfniay"be reduced' by providing'a rellective shield between. the junction and the duct wall. Conventional insulated' gas probes Yare usually designed to have u'a 'length-to-diameterlratiooflOto 1 toi-reduce conduction heatI l transfer from the junction and are shielded in some instances to reduce radiation heat transfer from the junction so that the heat transfer to and from the junction will be in equilibrium, but these probes are unsuitable for measuring the temperature of high velocity gases in small ducts, such as the nozzle inlet duct of a gas turbine, because of their excessive length. Another consideration in gas probedesign results from temperature differentials between various gas strata in the duct making some form of sampling desirable to obtain an average gas temperature. Y

An object of the invention is to provide an insulated and reinforced gas probe of simple and sturdy construction and of minimum length to diameter ratio wherein heat transfer between the junction `and an associated gas duct wall will be in substantial balance.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a gas probe with means for averaging the temperatures of various gas strata in a gas duct.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

United States Patent" ajpartially broken away thermocouple `according to the invention mountedf therein;

n Fig. 2 is arpartial longitudinal section through theannui lar intake duct of a gas turbine or the like showing a parv tially broken away thermocouple according to a diiferentV embodiment of the invention mounted therein; v

`Fig; 3 is a section taken ,substantiallyl on the plane indiated'by the line 343 of Fig. 2, and

Fig.`4 is a section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

, Referring "no w to the drawings, only so much of the intake" duct of the gas turbine is shown as is necessary for an understanding of the invention. The duct comprises a, cylindrical outer Wall 10 and a cylindrical inner wall 12 forming an annul-ar passage for the flow of highly heated, high velocity gas in the axial directions indicated by the arrows A, B and C. The duct walls are exposed on their lexterior to cooling air making them of lower temperature than the gases therein.

v Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4 for the preferred embodiment of the invention, the gas probe 14 is suitably secured to the outer wall 10 by a flange 16 and includes a stainless steel tubular shield 1S which projects radially into'thegas passage, that is, normal to the flow of the gas strataA and B. A pair of stainless steel tubes 20 and 22 aljeisecured' in spaced relation in the shieldA 18 by'welds and 26to Aform an elongated chamber 28 in the shield. 'Ewo pairs of Chromel-Alumel thermocouple wires 30 and 32a`re supportedin the tubes 2,0 and 22 by magnesium oxideinsulation 34 and 36 packed therein. Y The'thermocouplewires 30 are bent togetherand welded toform'a hot thermocouple junction 4i `in the center of the chamber`28, a similar welded junction 42 being provided for the`ther`mocouple wires 32.l Only one'therinocouple wire pair is necessary, the extra thermocouple wire pair being provided in the interest of safety or for transmitting an E;M.F toa'diferent-indicating instrument. Gas inlets 44 and 46 are provided at each end ofthe chamber 28 to intake gas from the separated strata indicatedby the arrows Aand' B pass the gas over'the exposed substantial length of*` thermocouplel wires and the junctions for subsequent' discharge out a' diametrically opposedV central outlet 48.' The shield 18 and the insulators 34 and 36 provide support for thethe'rmocouple wires at each end of the'chamber 2S to reinforce them frombendingV under theirnpactof the gas ow lthrough the chamberVl thereby permitting a substantial length of thermocouple wire to be exposed in the chamber so that conduction heat transfer from the junctions to the duct wall 10 is reduced. This results in an accurate insulated gas probe having a smaller length to diameter ratio than those previously known. The shield 18 reduces radiation heat transfer from the j-unctions to the duct Wall 10 and the spaced inlets 44 and 46 and central outlet 48 provide gas from the separated strata A and B to the centrally located junctions so that an average temperature of the gas in the duct is obtained.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 for the other embodiment of the invention, the gas probe 59 is threaded through the outer duct wall 10 at 52 to project normal to the ow of the gas strata A, B and C in the duct. The thermocouple 50 includes a stainless steel tubular shield 54 having magnesium oxide insulators 56, 58 and 60 packed therein and spaced from each other to form chambers 62, 64 and 66 at increasing distance from the wall 10. A first pair of Chromel-Alumel thermocouple wires 68 are supported in the shield 54 by the insulators 56 and S8 and extend exposed through the chamber 62 and into the Ychamber 64 where a weld 70 provides their hot junction. A second pair of Chromel-Alurnel thermocouple wires 72 are supported in the shield 54 by the insulators 56, 58 and 60 and extend exposed through the chambers 62 and 64 and into the chamber 66 for hot junction joinder by a weld 74. The chambers 62, 64 and 66 are provided with diametrically opposed inlet and outlet openings 76 and 78, 80 and 82, and 84 and 86 for the flow of gas from the respective strata C, B and A through the chambers. The iiow of gas through the chamber 62 over the exposed substantial length of thermocouple wire therein reduces conduction heat transfer from the junctions 70 and 74 to the wall 10 while the shield 54 and the respective insulators 58 and 60 beyond the exposed length of thermocouplewire reinforce the same against bending by the impact of the gas flow through the chamber. Radiation heat transfer from the junctions to the wall is reduced by the shield 54. The like leads of each thermocouple pair 68 and 72 are connected together in parallel at the junction posts 88 and 90 and the pairs are of different diameter so that each has the same resistance despite their length discrepancy. Be-

cause of this, the between the posts 88 and 90- will indicate the average temperature of the gas from the separated strata A and B through the chambers 66 and 64. If the temperature of the gas at stratum A only is desired, it is obvious that the thermocouple pair 68 may be dispensed with and, similarly, the thermocouple pair 72 can be eliminated if only the temperature of stratum B is sought,

It should be apparent that both embodiments of the invention permit a substantial length of thermocouple wire to be exposed to high velocity gas ow, thereby reducing conduction heat transfer to the wall and yet provide l ample support for the thermocouple wires. Both embodiments also provide shielded junctions to reduce radiation heat transfer to the wall and sample separated gas strata to achieve an average gas temperature indication.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described fully in order to explain the principles of the invention, it is to be understood that modifications in structure may be made by the exercise of skill in the art within the scope of the invention, which is not to be regarded as limited by the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

I claim:

1. A gas probe comprising a tubular shield adapted to be supported by a duct wall normal to the flow of a gas in the duct at a different temperature from that of the duct wall, insulators in the shield spaced from each other to form spaced first and second chambers therein increasingly distant from the wall, and a pair of thermocouple wires supported in the shield and spaced from contact with the shield and from contact with each other by the insulating material and extending exposed through the rst chamber and into the second chamber, the wires having a junction with each other in the second chamber, the shield having diametrically opposed inlet and outlet openings for each chamber for the''ow of gas through each chamber, the shield being elective to reduce radiation heat transfer between the wall and junction, the flow of gas through the rst chamber being effective to reduce conduction heat transfer between the wall and junction.

2. A gas probe comprising a metallic tube adapted to be supported by a duct wall normal to the flow of a gas in the duct at a different temperature from that of the duct wall, insulators in the tube spaced from each other to form spaced rst, second and third chambers therein increasingly distant from the wall, a rst pair of thermocouple wires supported in the tube and spaced from contact with the tube and from contact with each other by the insulating material and extending exposed through the rst chamber and into the second chamber, the first pair of wires having a junction with each other in the second chamber, and a second pair of paralleled thermocouple wires of like resistance supported in the tube and spaced from contact with the tube and from contact with each other and from contact with the lirst pair of wires by the insulating material and extending exposed through the vfirst and second chambers and into the third chamber, the

second pair of wires having a junction with each other in the third chamber, the tube having diametrically opposed inlet and outlet openings for each chamber for the ow of gas from Aa particular strata through each chamber, the

tube being effective to reduce rediation heat transfer between the wall and junctions, the ow of gas through the rst chamber being effective to reduce conduction heat transfer between the wall and junctions, the ow of gas through the second and third chambers being effective to obtain an average gas temperature from the junctions, the tube and insulators being effective to reinforce the thermocouple wire against bending by the impact of the gas flow.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 461,370 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1937 

